The Dragon in Bahamut's Vault

Encounters 30-33 of Madness of Gardmore Abbey

After a final rest in the secret shrine in the catacombs, our heroes depart through the temple and into early morning upon the top of the Dragon’s Roost.

Having decided to proceed directly to the vaults of the abbey in order to find the next holy relic – and access should be via the Hall of Glory, where many treasures were on display in centuries past.
While crossing the grounds, Shute hears a mighty roar in the sky headed in their direction, so they take cover and watch a Red Dragon approach the mount, but it is flying too low!

Instead of crashing into the cliff side, it lands in a small, obscured cave in the side. “I guess we’ll be fighting a dragon!”, says Agüero – quite excitedly.

The Hall of Glory

They make haste into the ruins of the Hall of Glory, which is covered with spider webbing.

And fight some spider swarms and giant ones as well.

Exploring the former hall of treasures…

..reveals a staircase is choked with webbing. Nothing has come this way for weeks, if not months.

The elementatlist burns the obstruction away, and they cautiously head down the stairs…

Nostalgio: “Here, take my (microphone) artifact and I’ll put the (speaker) in my cowl and you can speak for me!”

And so the ruse begins but soon it ends up going south as one of the smaller Gnolls overhear something on the stairs…

The battle goes so quickly, that the leader does not have time to escape through the door to gather reinforcements.

After checking to see that the side door is barricaded from the far side, the party heads through the main door to find… (wait for it)… more Gnolls.

Hall of Bahamut

First Gnoll through the door is taken down instantly and the Paladin charges through, demanding capitulation. The Gnolls surrender.

After learning that the vault is split into two factions: Gnoll and Minotaur, and that peace has been kept by a charismatic hybrid (with features of both races) they now fear that, with the slaying of their packmembers, the balance has been shifted too far in the favor of their enemies.

In a gesture of reluctant mercy, the party tells them to leave and never come back – and they beat a hasty retreat.

As the heroes take stock, a vision overcomes them at the Human-aspect statue of Bahamut:

In this very room the deed that caused the abbey to fall was concieved and born…

A knight of Bahamut draws a deck of cards from a pouch at his belt. Hands trembling, he spreads the cards before him. He reveals one-then recoils in horror. Chaos erupts around the knight as the vision fades.

Sir Oakely laments – “What madness overcame my order? How did we lose so much faith? Cavorting with serpents and trusting to dark talismans?”

Regaining his composure: "I will NOTREST until we have cleared every corner of the Abbey of the corruption of my kinsmen, even if I am to be the Last Paladin of Bahamut at Gardmore!

Feast-hall of Moradin

Passing through the unbarricaded door, they arrive at a feast of giants (demon Gnoll, two large Minotaurs, and the hybrid leader), already in progress.

They are invited to sit and talk with the group. As they talk, the leader invites them all to partake of the fruit freshly picked from the Feygrove this morning.

Much to everyone’s surprise, the entire party (including the Raven) grab a fruit and take a bite only to discover (duh!) that it is an illusion and they’ve been poisoned by a disguised Oni Night Haunter.
As they start feel woozy, the monsters attack!

It takes everything they have to avoid dropping into a deep slumber, and they suffer some deep hits at first.

But, once they regain their senses, the battle turns…

Eventually there is only a single large Minotaur remaining.

Oakley: “We slayed the Gnolls, your leader, and the rest of the dinner party – now we seek the Dragon. Unbarricade these doors and tell your kin to start packing, because YOU’RE LEAVING.”

The Minotaur moves they heavy barricade, but on his way out scoffs “If you slay the dragon, we will indeed leave. But if you fail, the vault is ours!”

Great Temple

Through the great doors, they sneak a peek into the next chamber – and ancient temple to Bahamut!

The dragon is asleep, but guarded by more than a dozen Kobolds – workers and soldiers. Thus begins a strange “kiting” dance of drawing Kobold away from the “boss” and plucking them off…

Resting 20 minutes in the dining chamber to recharge, they prepare a strategy to slay the dragon.

The fighter, with the dragonslayer lance, approaches first…

Sneaking up to the snoring dragon was easy. Too easy.

Before they can even attack, the dragon rears it’s head and lets loose his great fiery breath! A ruse! It was pretending to be asleep (probably noticed his guards and minions were all gone…)

The battle is joined! It appears that the dragon has cards from the deck, which play havoc with the irregulars.

It is touch and go, with half the group unconscious at one point!

The allies continually supports the bearer of the dragonslayer facilitating biting attack after attack…

… until the final blow is landed!

The Minotaurs agree to leave, and clear the Barracks of monsters on their way out the “back door” as a tribute to Bahamut.

The dragon’s horde contained the second relic – The Chalice of the Dragon – as well as the Knight, Rogue, and Vizier cards from the Deck of Many Things.

Next up: Find the final relic for the ritual of cleansing – The Brazier of Silver Fire.